Small Businesses That Profit From Sweet Sensations

When dinner ends, a fork in the road is reached by restaurant patrons. Do I pay the check and escape with my dignity intact, or do I order a gooey, sinful dessert?

Some manage to avoid the latter option, citing the maxim "a minute on the lips, a lifetime on the hips." But for many others, the siren call of chocolate mousse, cheesecake or tiramisu is simply too bewitching to ignore.

Restaurants tend to focus on entrées, and can be somewhat limited in their range of desserts as a result. This leaves an opening for small businesses to specialize in sweets, and many currently offer unique and innovative takes on after-dinner indulgences.

What follows is a list of 10 small businesses which offer something a little more adventurous than a scoop of ice cream. Some are more successful than others, and some are more creative than others, but what they all have in common is sinfully delicious, delectable offerings for those times when willpower abandons you.

Read ahead to see 10 small businesses offering outrageous and delectable desserts.